When it comes to interesting looking animal and animal patterns, many people like the Zebra. However did you know that not all Zebras look alike?
The most common is the Plains Zebra:
One favorite of mine is the Grevy’s Zebra. Note the fine pinstripes. There is a reason for these stripes, however that is for a future discussion.
Then there is Burchell’s Zebra which shows shadow stripes. Instead of the black and white pattern it is black, white, brown, white.
Now there is also the rare Albino Zebra:
And the even rarer spotted Zebra:
Unfortunately we have also lost a very interesting type of zebra pattern, that of the Quagga:
The first is the last surviving specimen, before color photographs. The second picture is an artist color reference. Note that only the face and neck have the stripes.
Early explorers to Namia were amazed at the sight of these strange looking animals.
The name Quagga comes from a Khoikhoi word for zebra.
They lived in the drier parts of southern Africa, mainly on grassland.
They were hunted to extinction as they competed for grazing land, and the locals didn't know they were not the same as zebras in other parts of the world.
The last known specimen in captivity, died on August 12, 1883 at an Amsterdam Zoo.
By now, you are probably wondering what this has to do with our Christian walk….
DNA analysis showed that the Quagga was actually part of a sub-species of the Planes Zebra… its coloration was a recessive trait…. so in 1987 in South Africa they took Zebras with the most similar traits to a quagga and put them together. Each year they remove children that are not similar to a quagga, but keep the rest. Eventually….
We have started to resurrect a sub-species from extinction.
While man can work to resurrect a species he killed off, how much greater is God that can resurrect someone dead for 3 days, and through that person, His son, give us all hope for the forgiveness of sins, and our own resurrection in the future.
1 Thessalonians 4:14: For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus.
My late wife Gaylene was a fan of Quagga’s and used to show several model zebras painted in Quagga pattern at model horse shows. My son and I look forward to being united with her in the Kingdom.
© Vivian P. Kirkpatrick, 2015
Follow on devotion on Zebras is here.